A Very Veggie Thanksgiving!

From the first “silence of the laaaaaaambs” impersonation, I knew I was in trouble.

It was my first Thanksgiving as a vegetarian, and I had psyched myself up for the onslaught of the turkey skin-Cable Guy impressions, the hideous fake gobbling noises my sister made as she dangled a turkey leg over my plate, and the silly “but turkey isn’t really meat” comments from relatives. I felt like John Corbett’s character in My Big Fat Greek Wedding, as the Greek aunt insists that she’ll make him lamb, because of course that’s not really “meat.”

I feel your pain, man.

A turkey-less Thanksgiving is unthinkable to some. Turkeys are steeped in centuries old tradition- turkey, geese, and duck were among the predominant fowl in North America during the 17th century when the first Thanksgiving feasts were held. It’s estimated that 250 million turkeys have been raised in the United States in 2009, and that Americans will spend $3.8 billion on turkeys this year.

But in reality, with 7.3 million Americans identifying themselves as vegetarian, 1 million as vegan, and an additional 22.8 million following a vegetarian-inclined diet, it’s not a typical Turkey Day for those who don’t eat meat.

Ironically- or cleverly, depending on how you look at it- November is also designated as World Vegan Month. Participants pledge to abide by a vegan diet, where no milk, cheese, butter, eggs, honey, gelatin, or any other animal-based products are consumed, for one day a week. In eating a wide variety of plant-based foods, a vegan diet promises a healthy heart, high energy levels, and the maintenance of a healthy weight. It may be tough to think of a hearty dinner without automatically thinking of a steak, but with just a little bit of thought (and some help from great vegetarian & vegan cookbooks, like Isa Chandra Moskowitz’s Vegan with a Vengeance) it doesn’t need to be a big lifestyle change- you can find plenty of vegetables and soy-based products in your regular grocery store!

I can talk about vegetarian/vegan awareness and animal issues until I’m blue in the face, but when it comes to holiday meals, nothing speaks louder than the food itself. Most families I know are hard-pressed to give up their beloved turkey, so until it’s my turn to host a (turkey-free) Thanksgiving dinner at my house, I spend most of November thinking of a meat-free way to wow my fellow diners.

Turkey may have the main stage at every Thanksgiving feast, but that doesn’t mean vegetables should be relegated to mere side shows. With a bounty of fall vegetables and fruits at your fingertips- pumpkin, sweet potatoes, butternut squash, cauliflower, corn, and apples to name just a few- the sky is the limit with the variety of meat-free dishes you can create.

With that annually Presidential-pardoned bird in mind, I’m sharing a few healthier, veggie recipes to add to your Thanksgiving standards. These recipes, which I’ve tried on my friends and family, will leave you satisfied, but not as stuffed as that big bird, and you’ll be surprised how quickly the same guests who can’t imagine a turkey-less dinner devour these dishes.

We can all do without that tryptophan-induced nap after dinner anyway.

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Roasted Green Bean Salad (vegan)

Ingredients:

* 1 lb. mixed green & wax beans, ends trimmed

* 1 large bell pepper, sliced into strips

* 1/2 red onion, coarsely chopped

* 1/4 cup basil

* 3 tbsp. olive oil

* 4 tbsp. sherry vinegar

* 1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

Method:

1) Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

2) For the salad: In a large bowl, toss the beans, pepper, onion, and half of the basil together. Set aside.

3) For the vinaigrette: Combine olive oil and sherry vinegar in a small bowl. Whisk in pepper and remaining basil and immediately pour over the bean salad. Toss to coat.

4) Place the beans on a baking sheet and roast for 20 to 25 minutes. Serve hot.

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Curried Pumpkin Soup (vegan)

Ingredients:

* 3 tbsp. soy butter

* 1 large onion, diced

* 1 15 oz. can of pureed pumpkin

* 4 cups vegetable stock

* 2 fresh bay leaves

* 1 tsp. sugar

* 1 tbsp. curry powder

* 1 tsp. nutmeg

* 1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper

* 1 1/2 cups soy milk

* salt & pepper to taste

Method:

1) Melt butter in a 4 to 6 quart saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onions and saute until soft and golden brown, about 3 minutes.

2) Stir in pumpkin, veggie stock, bay leaves, sugar, curry powder, nutmeg, and cayenne pepper. Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat and continue to simmer uncovered for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

3) In batches, transfer soup to blender to puree, or use immersion blender until soup is smooth. Return to saucepan, and add the soy milk, salt, and pepper. Simmer for ten minutes, but do not allow soup to boil. Serve hot.

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Honey Balsamic Spinach with Cranberries and Pignoli (vegetarian)

Ingredients:

* 1 large bunch spinach, rinsed and leaves trimmed from stalks

* 2 tbsp olive oil

* 1/4 or 1/3 cup honey balsamic vinegar, depending on your preference (to make your own, whisk a little honey and a dash of orange juice or the like into some balsamic vinegar)

* 1 medium onion, diced

* 1/2 cup cranberries

* 1/4 cup pignoli (pine nuts)

Method:

1) In a large pan, heat olive oil over medium heat; add onions and saute for 2 minutes. Add the spinach by the handful and stir into the pan. Add the honey balsamic vinegar to the spinach and cook for an additional 2 to 3 minutes, until spinach is slightly wilted, and some of the vinegar has cooked down.

2) Stir the cranberries and pignoli into the pan, and cook for an additional 2 minutes. Remove from heat, and serve hot.

***

Butternut Squash Lasagna (vegetarian)

Ingredients:

* 2 large butternut squashes, peeled, and cut into large cubes

* 2 tbsp. olive oil

* 2 tbsp. rubbed sage

* 1/2 tbsp. ground nutmeg

* 1/2 tbsp. ground ginger

* 1 cup mascarpone cheese

* salt & pepper to taste

* 1 box lasagna noodles

* 2 medium sized zucchini or yellow squash, cut into thin slices

* 1 large bunch of spinach, arugula, or any of your favorite leafy greens

* 1 cup shredded mozzarella

* 1/2 cup shredded parmiggiano reggiano

* about 2 cups bechamel or your favorite cream sauce

Method:

1) Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat; cook the butternut squash until easily pierced by a fork, about 10 minutes. Drain the squash, and place in a large mixing bowl.

2) Drizzle the squash with olive oil, and add the sage, nutmeg, ginger, salt and pepper. Mix to coat the squash. Using a fork or a potato masher, mash the seasoned squash until smooth. Add the mascarpone cheese and whip into the squash mixture. Your squash-cheese mixture should be light and smooth. Set aside.

3) Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil; cook lasagna noodles until al dente, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain and rinse in cold water. Fill a medium bowl with cold water, and place lasagna noodles in the bowl until ready to use.

4) Prepare your bechamel- melt 4 tbsp. of butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat, and whisk in 1/4 cup all purpose flour. Reduce heat to low, and whisk in 2 cups of milk. Simmer until mixture begins to thicken- about 8 to 10 minutes- and whisk in 1/4 tsp. nutmeg.

5) Spread about 1/4 cup of bechamel sauce across the bottom of a 13 x 9 baking pan. Cover with a layer of lasagna noodles; spread 1/3 of the squash mixture over the lasagna noodles. Layer 1/3 of the zucchini, the greens, 1/2 cup of bechamel and 1/4 of the mozzarella over the squash mixture. Repeat with two more layers; finish last layer with the remaining bechamel, mozzarella, parmiggiano reggiano, and sprinkle with ground nutmeg. Cover pan with foil and bake for 20 minutes; remove foil and bake for an additional 5 to 10 minutes, or until top layer is browned. Allow lasagna to cool for 10 to 15 minutes before serving.

***

Baked “Mac & Cheese” (vegetarian/vegan)

Ingredients:

For the “Mac & Cheese”

* 1 10 oz. box small spelt pasta shells (I used DeBoles brand, found at any health food store)

* 2/3 cup low sodium vegetable broth

* 2 cloves garlic, minced

* 2 cups pumpkin puree

* 1 cup fat free ricotta (you can use a silken tofu if you prefer to make this recipe vegan!)

* 2 tbsp. rubbed sage

* 2 tsp. white pepper

* 1 tbsp freshly grated ginger

* about 5 sprigs of thyme

* splash of white wine

* salt & black pepper to taste

For the topping:

* about 5 whole wheat baguette slices, toasted

* 3/4 cup walnut halves

* 1/2 cup grated pecorino romano (omit if making this recipe vegan)

* salt & pepper to taste

Method:

1) Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Prep a baking dish with butter or olive oil, spreading across bottom of the dish and along the sides. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, and add box of spelt shells. Cook pasta until al dente (about 8 to 10 minutes), stirring occasionally; drain.

2) While pasta is cooking, heat vegetable broth in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat; add garlic and 1 tbsp sage and cook for 2 minutes.

3) Stir pumpkin into broth until mixture is smooth, about 2 minutes; add ricotta or tofu and mix. Stir in the remaining sage, white pepper, ginger, thyme, and wine into pumpkin mixture, adding salt & black pepper if desired, and cook for another 3 to 5 minutes to let flavors blend. Remove from heat.

4) Mix the cooked pasta into the sauce until pasta shells are well coated. Spread pasta shells evenly in prepared baking dish.

5) For topping: put walnut halves and toasted baguette slices into a large Ziploc bag. Using a hammer (or rolling pin, whatever you have available!), lightly pound the bag until you have a breadcrumb and crushed walnut mix. Add pecorino romano (if using) salt, and pepper to bag and shake well. Sprinkle mixture evenly over the pasta.

6) Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until topping is crisp. Allow several minutes to cool before serving.